SCOTUS Unanimously Upholds Trump Travel Ban

PHOTO: The nine chairs of the Justices lined up in the Court Chamber of the US Supreme Court. (photo via Flickr/Phil Roeder)

"Travel Ban 2.0" is a go. (Mostly.)

After unending debate playing out on social media and TV, the White House will now see a majority of its second executive order restricting travel from six predominantly Muslim nations go into action.

The highest court in the land, via NBC News, decided on Monday to overturn previous lower court stays on President Trump’s second executive order that was initially signed back in March.

The decision is something of a judicial stopgap as the court explained it would allow large swaths of the order to go into effect until it can hear a full appeal when it reconvenes in October. As NBC News notes, the executive order, also known as the travel ban, initially called for travel restrictions over the course of a 90-day period.

This means actually hearing a case by that point would be superfluous as the ban would have run its course.

It’s entirely possible, as echoed in the report, that the case would be dropped from the docket at that point unless SCOTUS wishes to revisit how an order of this magnitude affects the range and scope of the executive office.

“Immigration, even for the President, is not a one-person show. The president’s authority is subject to certain statutory and constitutional restraints.”

The sentiment that the President overstepped his bounds echoed a previous legislative hurdle when the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals decided not to reinstate the order in May.

Unsurprisingly, Trump championed the Supreme Court’s decision Monday as a vital tool to be used in the interest of national security: “Today's ruling allows me to use an important tool for protecting our Nation's homeland. I am also particularly gratified that the Supreme Court's decision was 9-0.”

The order now puts limits on who can arrive from six predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen.

The report does note that the aspects of the Super Court-granted order allows for entry of those individuals who already attained a travel visa. The court also stipulated, via NBC News, the ban, “may not be enforced against foreign nationals who have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.”

There has already been reaction from the travel industry as U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President Jonathan Grella issued the following statement, via press release:

“As the Supreme Court considers the legal merits of the President Trump's executive orders on immigration, we continue to urge the administration to draw a brighter line between its efforts to bolster national security and its desire to continue attracting valuable international business and leisure travelers. We have heard senior administration members say America is 'open for business' and 'open to the millions of international visitors who wish us well,' but they should be doing as much as possible to make sure there is widespread awareness of that sentiment abroad.

"An overt message of welcome that accompanies tough talk aimed at terrorists and visa overstayers would do a lot to sustain and grow the immense economic benefit that comes from international travel to the U.S."

It’s that negativity which may be to blame for a dip in U.S. tourism. Various reports claim Trump’s policies since entering office have had an adverse effect on incoming travel and visits.

The American Society of Travel Agents has also asked for further clarification and positivity as "wait and see" becomes the watchword after the new ruling:

"ASTA is currently reviewing the Supreme Court’s recent decision narrowing the scope of the injunction on President Trump’s Executive Order, with an eye toward assisting travel agents comply with the order as it currently stands pending the Court’s review on the merits expected in October.

"As it is imperative that the traveling public maintain confidence in an industry so vital to our nation’s economy, we ask that the Administration set clear implementation guidelines in the interim so uncertainty, and the travel disruptions likely to result, are kept to an absolute minimum.

"In the meantime, we align with the sentiment expressed by the U.S. Travel Association and other industry leaders that an overt message welcoming legitimate international travelers to the United States should accompany any security steps aimed at terrorists and those who overstay their visas."

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